Mediterranean Sea Bass with Preserved Citrus

Also known as European Sea Bass or Branzino, this little fish tastes a bit like perch, with a similar white, firm flake and a mild sweetness that will remind you of fresh scallops. With relatively few and easy to remove bones, and firm flesh that holds its shape when cooked, it's well-suited for pan frying or grilling, or in this case for broiling.

In keeping with it's Mediterranean origin I prepared it simply, with a little preserved lemon, kumquat and kalamata olives.

This recipe is lovely with fillets, too, if you don't want to deal with a whole fish, though you will want to change your cooking method, as it is very difficult to flip fillets. Julia Child advocates use of liquid when broiling fish, based on a method she learned from George Berkowitz. This allows the top side of the fish to brown beautifully, while the bottom side cooks through and is kept moist and tender in the liquid. The fish is dried with paper towels, seasoned with salt and pepper, and placed in a buttered shallow baking dish. The top of the fish is dried again and buttered or oiled. White wine or water is poured to half the height of the fish and the fish is broiled, brushing once or twice with butter or oil, until done.

Mediterranean Sea Bass with Preserved Citrus
A one pound fish will feed one person, so adjust the recipe accordingly.

3 whole Mediterranean Sea Bass, about 1 pound each, scaled, gutted, gills and fins removed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 preserved lemon
6 preserved kumquats
6-8 kalamata or black olives, pitted and halved
Salt and pepper

Rinse  half of a preserved lemon under cold water, discarding the pulp. Thinly slice the peel lengthwise. Slice the preserved kumquats in half, also lengthwise.

Rinse the fish and thoroughly dry with paper towels in and out. Season with salt and pepper in and out and place in the broiler pan, piling the preserved lemon and kumquats on top. Drizzle with the olive oil.

Turn the oven on to broil and set the fish under the broiler for about 5 minutes. If the preserved lemon and kumquats begin to char you can push them down next to the fish. Carefully turn the fish over, rearranging the lemon and kumquats back on top if they are not too brown, and cook another 5 minutes.

Depending on the thickness of your fish it will be ready. If it is thicker than 1 inch, turn the flame down and let it finish in the oven for a few more minutes.

Remove the broiling pan from the oven and add the olive. Let the fish rest for a few minutes while the olives warm through. Place the fish on serving plates, topping with the lemons, kumquats and olives. Pour and pan juices over the fish and serve.

Comments

[Manggy]

The taste is reminiscent of fresh scallops? I'm so there!! (uh, if you're wondering why I've never cooked one of my favorite sea-foods, it's because it's so expensive I can't decide on the best, definitive way of cooking it :)

I love the saltiness that the olives provide. I'm not sure I can finish a whole pound of fish though! I've the appetite of a bird, apparently :)

[Zenchef]

Is it Branzilla or Branzino? Or did you mix Branzino with Godzilla?..The monster of the mediterranean sea!? haha. Whatever it's called, it's my favorite fish! I like the way you've prepared it with preserved lemon, olives... It's gotta be good!

[Adele]

I like the sound of this cooking technique. Moist fish with crispy skin? Mmm.

[Aran]

Wonderful! It's hard for the regular consummer to get fresh fish around here and I live in Florida!

[giz]

Ahhh, yet another way to use those kumquats - I am learning - I am paying attention

[Maryann]

Hi!
I love how you prepared this fish dish. Simple, light, and flavorful. Great job! :)

[Jack]

Zenchef - you mean CODzilla, don't you?

[RecipeGirl]

I love Sea Bass. I don't know if I've ever had a sea bass that was noted as "Mediterranean Sea Bass" before though. Looks like we were both thinking along the Mediterranean theme for posts today :)

[Pixie]

mmm, I can imagine the wonderful flavours in this fish. I'm going to try preserving lemons next week and when the time comes shall try this recipe for sure.

[Ann]

Manggy, you can probably eat a whole pound of whole fish. Once you discard the tail, head and bones, it's not so much... :-)

Zenchef, *sigh* It was one of those days... I've corrected it! :-)

Adele, A very good technique for steaks and fillets... but not needed for a whole fish like vranzino.

Aran, Really? That's terrible! I get mine at the Greenmarket or Wholefoods...

giz, Thanks!

Maryann, thank you!

Jack, ha, and indeed, ha. :-)

RecipeGirl, these are smaller than regular sea bass... and worth looking for. Off to see how we were channeling each other!

Pixie, let me know how your lemons turn out!

[dhanggit]

this is indeed a wonderful recipe to prepare our mediterranean sea bass..at home we just normally grill them.i bet adding those preserved citrus will definitely give a big delicious punch out of it!!

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

Hooray -- another wonderful recipe for my preserved lemons! And I've never tried preserving kumquats -- that's a great idea.

[mimi]

what a delicious recipe! i've only cooked (whole) branzino once for a christmas dinner, so i used garlic and herbs. but i love the idea of preserved lemons and olives for a great refreshing flavor.

[Ann]

dhanggit, the citrus was lovely with it-- though this fish hardly needs anything to taste delicious!

Lydia, oh, do try the kumquats!

mimi, I think fish and lemon were just meant to be! :-)

[myfrenchkitchen]

I love the touch of citrus and the olived added here...I'm a lover of all food mediteranean. For their colour as well as taste, it just looks so healthy AND delicious!
ronell

[Cakelaw]

This photograph has me wanting to taste this fish badly - the gorgeous deep purple of the olives goes wonderfully with the orange kumquats.

[Coffee and Vanilla]

Hi,

Just a short note to let you know that April's AFAM (Kumquats) round-up is now online:

http://www.coffeeandvanilla.com/?p=2213

Margot